Wrapping machine



May 31, 1938. w B. BRoNANDr-:R

WRAPPING' MACHINE Filed June 27, 193e s' sheets-sheet 1 May 31, 1938. y w. Ea.r BRoNANDx-:R

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENTOR lf/f//he//n .E Bro/1an der ATTO N EYS May 3l, 1938. w. B. BRoNANDx-:R

WRAPPING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,Ti Ji.

NVENTOR l///ze/m B. Bron an der BY Wk ATTO R N EYS Patentedv May 31, 1938 @iran sras Aralar corsica ananas y MAPPING. MACHINE Wilhelm B. Brcnancler, Montclair, N.'J. Application .rune 27, 193s, serial No. 87,638

2 Claims.

few parts and will effectively and emciently wrap the articles or packages.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described with simple, practical and effective means for applying adhesive to the parts to be joined or secured or for moistening or applying solvent to said parts if the wrapper'is formed of material such as coated regenerated cellulose film commercial known under the trade-mark Cellophane.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification taken in connec-y tion with the drawings which forma part of this application, and in which Fig. l is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig, 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the machine shown in Fig. l.;

Fig; 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. i is an enlarged detail sectional elevation of the mechanism for applying the adhesive to the longitudinal folds of the wrapper;

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the adhesive applying means, somewhat diagrammatic; and

Figs. 6 to il, inclusive, are perspective views illustrating the wrapper and article at various successive stages in the wrapping operation.

The invention briey described consists of a wrapping machine comprising Ymeans for feeding an article to be wrapped, means for feeding a wrapper strip across the path of movement of the article and for severing the strip to form wrapper lengths, means for moistening or applying adhesive to portions of the Wrapper during its movement through the wrappingvand folding mechanism and means for folding and securing the wrapper around the article. article are fed by successively acting feeding means to and through the folding means which folds the wrapper around the top, one end and the bottom of the article and folds the side flaps across the sides of the article, adhesive being applied to the inner side flap prior to the folding of the outer side flap thereover. After the wrapper hasbeen so folded the ends' of the wrapper will project beyond one end of the article in the form of an open ended tubular extension.

At this stage the machine 'operator tucks the ends of the wrapper against the end .of the article and the article and wrapper are placed on The wrapper and v a third support which is disposed below the level of the plane of the support or supports upon which the article and wrapper have previously been fed.. In this manner the bottom end flap is folded upwardly against the end of the article leaving the upper end flap projecting in the plane of the upper-'surface of the wrapper. 'lllief article and wrapper are then fed through the final folding mechanism by endless feeding means and the final or upper end fold is folded downwardly against the lower end fold. Prior to this last folding operation the outer surface of the folded end ilap has applied thereto adhesive or solvent.'

Further details of theinvention will appear from the following description.

In the form of the invention particularly illustrated in the drawings there is shown a machine comprising three supports or supporting tables A, B and C, the supports A and B being disposed in the same plane and the support C being dis- 2o posed lin a plane located below the level o f the plane in which the supports A and B are located and furthermore being disposed at right angles to the supports A and B. The support A has formed therein a slot or opening 2@ through' which a wrapper strip S is fed from a supply roll 2l by feed rolls 22 and 23.- Cuttings vmechanism consisting of a rotary knife 2li and a stationary knife 25 severs the Strip into wrapper lengths.

The articlesv X to be wrapped are fed from a hopper H by feed bars or rods 21 carried by a pairof endless feeding members 28 and 29. The articles are fed along the support A and engage the wrapper strip S which has previously been fed through the slot 20 across the path of rncvee ment of the articles. The articles are fed by the members 2l beneath a top plate 30 disposed above the support A in advance of the slot 20. the strip being folded around the advance end of the article and across the upper and lower surfaces thereof in the manner shown in Fig. 2. After the article and wrapper have been fed beneath the top plate 30 the cutting mechanism operates to cut the Strip and the free ends of the wrapper length will extend rearwardly from the rear edgeof the article. -l The article and wrapper are fed from the support A to the support B by the transverse feeding members 21 and are fed along the support B by 50 feeding lugs or members 35 carried by an endless feeding member 38 supported on sprockets 31 and '38. Thel` feeding members 21 pass downwardly through an opening 39 disposed between the supports A and B and move out of engagement 55 with the rear edges of the articles as the feeding members move into engagement therewith! Any suitable driving connections may be provided for the feeding members above described, but in theform of the invention shown the endless feeding members or chains 28 and 29 are carried by sprockets and 4| at the rear ends ofthe feeding members and by sprockets 42 and 43 at the front ends thereof. The sprockets '42 and 43 are mounted on a shaft 44 on which is also mounted a sprocket 45 which ,is driven by a chain 46 from any suitable source of power.

The shaft 44 also has secured thereto a gear 41 which meshes with a gear 48 mounted on `a shaft 49 on which the sprocket 31 is mounted.

The shaft 49 also has secured thereto a sprocket 50 which is connected by a chain 5| to drive a sprocket 52 mounted on a shaft 53 which carries the rotary cutter 24. Shaft 53 has also secured thereto a gear 55 which meshes with an idler gear 56 which in turn meshes with a gear 51 mounted on a shaft 58 which carries the feed roll 23. Gear 51 also meshes with a gear 59 carried by a shaft 60 on which is mounted the feed roll 22.

Side walls and 66 are mounted on the support B and are provided with stationary tuckers 61 and 68 at the entrance ends thereof to tuck the front end tucks 10 formed in the wrapper. The side walls also have slots 1 ,v 12 and 13 which function in the usual manner to fold the inner side folds 15 downwardly and the outer side folds 16 upwardly and inwardly against the folds 15.` 'Ihe folding slots have not been illustrated in detail since they are old and common in the wrapping art.

After the tucks 19 have been formed in the advance ends of the wrapper the folds 15 are folded downwardly against the sides of the wrapper by the slots 1|. The article and wrapper at this stage in the folding operation are shown in Fig. 6. When the article and wrapper have reached this stage and have reached'the point indicated at Y in Fig. 2 adhesive or solvent is applied to the lower margins of the folds 15, as shown in Fig. rI. This is accomplished by means of the adhesive applying means particularly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

The adhesive applying means consists of rotary disks formed of felt or other suitable absorbent material. The disks 80 are supported on rotating heads 8| disposed at the upper ends of spindles 82 mounted at their lower ends on ball thrust bearings 83. The spindles are freely rotatable and are not positively driven. The disks 80 are secured to the heads 8| in any suitable manner, as by iiat rings 84. Screws extend through the rings and disks and are secured t the heads 8|.

'Ihe spindles 82 are mounted in journals 85 carried by arms 86 pivoted at 81 to lugs 88. Springs 89 are secured at their inner ends to a frame or support 90 and at their outer ends to the arms 86, the springs exertinga force tending to hold the arms and disks inwardly, thus forcing the peripheries of the felt disks 80 against the longitudinal edges of the folds 15. The walls 65 and 66 are recessed, as shown at 9|, to receive the peripheral portions of the felt disks 80.

Adhesive is fed to the disks 80 from receptacles R by gravity, the receptacles being provided with downwardly extending outlet conduits 92 controlled by needle valves 93.

After adhesive has been applied, as shown in Fig. '1, to the lower outer edges of the folds 15,

the bottom or outer side folds 16 are folded up After the wrapper has been wrapped around `l the article in the` manner shown in Fig. 8 the operator of the machine folds the two ends of extension shown at 95 and 96 inwardly against 'the end of the article and places the article and wrapper on the support C which, as above explained, is disposed below Ithe level of the supports A and B. As the package is placed on the sup.- port C the bottom end fold 91 will be folded upwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 9 against the rear end of the article. This leaves the upper end fold 98 projecting rearwardly substantially in a'linement with the upper surface of the article and wrapper. The package is then engaged on the support C by one of a series of feeding members or lugs |00 carried by an endless chain |0| supported on sprockets |02 and |03 mounted on -shafts |04 and |05. The shaft |04 has secured to its rear end a worm Wheel |06 which meshes with a worm gear |01 mounted on the shaft 44.

A Wall ||0 forms the guide for one side of the package, the other` side being guided by -a wall l the latter wall being provided with a slot ||2 which engages the upper end flap 98 and folds this end ap downwardly against the inner end flap 91. The wall has formed therein a slot ||5 which receives the periphery of an adhesive apl plying disk H6 similar to the disks 80 shown in Fig. 4. The disks ||6 is freely rotatable and engages and applies adhesive to th outer surface of the bottom end fold 91, as shown in Fig. l0. After the adhesive or solvent has been applied thereto in the manner shown in Fig. 10, the upper or outer end fold 98 is folded downwardly by' the action of the slot 2 and thewrapping of the article is completed.

From the foregoing description the operation of the machine will be clear, but it may be briefly summarized as follows: The article and wrapper are first fed along the support A on which the wrapper is fed around the end and across the top and bottom of the article. From the support A the articles' are fed along the support B by the feeding members 35 and during this movement the upper side folds 15 are folded downwardly and inwardly against the sides of the article after the tucks 10 have been formed therein. This stage in the operation is shown in Fig. 6. The rotary adhesive applying disks 80 then engage the lower outer margins of the folds 15 and apply adhesive or solvent. thereto and thereafter the further movement of the article and wrapper along the support B will cause the outer side folds 16 to be folded upwardly and inwardly against the fold 15. This stage in the operation is shown in Fig. 8.

'I'he operator of the machine then. by manual v operation, folds the end'tucks 95 and 96 inwardly against the ends of the article and places the article and wrapper on the support C. This last operation causes the bottom end folds 91 to be folded upwardlyand inwardly against the end of the article leaving the upper end fold 91 projecting outwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 9.

The article and wrapper are 'then fed along the support C and the upper outer margin of the fold 91 receives adhesive from the adhesive applying disk IIS. The final fold is then made by the movement of the article and wrapper along the support C causing the upper end fold 884to be folded downwardly against the fold 91 by the slot H2.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that a simple, practical and effective machine has been designed for wrapping and *sealing articles,

Although one specific embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made Without de.-

parting from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. The method of wrapping an article which consists of feeding an article and wrapper in a predetermined path of movement. and during such movement folding the wrapper around the' bottom, advance end and top of the article, tucking the advance end of the wrapper projecting beyond the sides of the article against the front end portions of said sides and folding the wrapper against the sides of the article, leaving the ends of the wrapper projecting beyond the rear end of the article, manually tucking the ends of the projecting portion of the wrapper against the rear end of the article, transferring the article and wrapper to a path f movement and during such transfer folding upwardly the lower fold of the projecting portion of the wrapper at an angle to the iirstpath of movement, feeding thearticle and wrapper in said second path of movement and during such movement folding the end upper fold against the rear end of the article and wrapper. l

2. In a wrapping machine, a support having side walls arranged to receive therebetween a partially wrapped article in which the wrapper has been folded around'the top, bottom, one end and sides of the article, leaving the ends of the wrapper projecting rearwardly ofthe rear end of the article, one wall being arranged to engage the closed end of the package and the other wall 'being adapted to engage and fold up a bottom projecting portion ofthe wrapper, means for feeding the article and wrapper along said support,

and means for folding the top projecting portion of the wrapper againstthe bottom folded portion. WILHELM B. BRONANDER. 

